1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tension springs separation device and, in particular, to such separation device suitable for use in a tension spring automatic mounting system which mounts tension springs automatically in assembling a pad receiving member to a seat frame of a seat.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In seats for vehicles, there are employed some kinds of cushion structures, a typical example of which is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5882 of 1972.
Specifically, in the disclosed cushion structure, there is employed a so-called reed-screen-like pad receiving member which is formed by extending a plurality of wires round across two side members between the two side surfaces of a seat frame disposed internally of the seat, and then inserting spacer members between the thus extended wires; and, the pad receiving member is provided elastically by means of a plurality of tension springs at the two sides thereof, so that such elastic provision of the pad receiving member can offer a comfortable cushioning effect.
Conventionally, an operation to mount the tension springs in assembling the pad receiving member to the seat frame has been performed manually. However, recently, there is proposed a tension spring automatic mounting system which is adapted to carry out the mounting operation automatically by use of an industrical robot.
In the tension spring automatic mounting system, the industrial robot is used to mount the tension springs that are separated individually from one another. However, since every tension spring is provided with two hook portions at the two ends thereof, while they are stored, the tension springs are entangled with one another at the respective hook portions thereof. Therefore, when mounting the tension springs, they must be separated from one another by means of a separation device.
A separation device of this type for separation of the above-mentioned entangled tension springs is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 124775 of 1974.
That is, in the tension springs separation device, a sorter member for dropping down the entangled tension springs is located in a feed passage of a part feeder, an enclosure member is located such that it is opposed to the sorter member, and there formed opposed blast holes in one end of the enclosure member, which blast holes are connected with a blast device, whereby the tension springs dropped down onto the bottom plate portion of the enclosure member are blown off by the air jetted out of the blast holes so that they are dropped down from a drop hole of the enclosure member onto the bottom portion of the part feeder.
However, the above-mentioned tension springs separation device is found to have some drawbacks to be solved. For example, it is complicated in structure due to the fact that the blast device is employed to blow off the tension springs. The separation device also requires a high manufacturing cost.